The 'Coming Alongside the Birrarung' (Melbourne's Yarra River) incursion uses the storybook Wilam: A Birrarung Story as place based scaffold, to simultaneously foster children making meaning using multimodal means of communication and the performing arts (eg music, movement and drama) and respect for Indigenous knowledges, culture and language.

The concept of "coming alongside" Indigenous knowledges is important to note as this incursion is run by an Australian white settler ECT and Performing Arts specialist.

Coming alongside is relational. Dr Karen Martin (2020) explains 3 bands respectful, responsible and accountable as set of inbuilt conditions through which relatedness is known, respected and lived. In this incursion we will follow these conditions to bring you into relation with Indigenous knowledges in new ways, from a new perspective of privileging this knowledge in relation to the Indigenous places you live, learn, love, play and sleep on.

Even though our history with our Indigenous Peoples is based on erasure and dominating 'coming alongside' recognises that at times the water is murky like the water of the Birrarung. The Indigenous word 'Ganma' describes this so well - where fresh and salt water mixes together it creates new water.

Incursion Format:
Narrative of Ceremony:
To introduce the concept of Acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land where you/and the children play and learn the children tap to musical and participate in a sung Acknowledgement of Country.

The narrative of Aboriginal literacy (e.g. how children learnt the meaning of
symbols through story telling):
Working with the WoiWurrung authentic text of Aunty Joy Murphy and Andrew Kelly children make meaning using multimodal literacies and the Indigenous language.

Using evocative musical soundtracks together with percussion instruments (rainsticks, drums) and natural resources (sticks, stones) the children create sound effects for WoiWurrung words and key ideas contained on each page.

• Bunjil soars
• Nuja rises, stretches
• Wallert curls up
• Boiron flits

The narrative of nature (e.g. connections to Country, how our people got
everything they needed from the land)
Using the storybook, children learn about the interconnectivity of living and non-living things.
The children help create a Birrarung Play Concept World based on pages of the book using natural and made materials. Using rich open questions and discussion around the narrative of Melbourne's local flora and fauna we work together to design the play space using flowing materials, foam blocks and natural materials like pine cones and stones.

Children then take on roles of the animals who live by the Birrrung and make meaning by entering the world in small groups for the dramatic play. While waiting for a turn the other children continue explore making the music for the drama. Dramatic tension led by the teacher allows children to explore the interconnectivity of life using performing arts such as movement to music and role-play or playing instruments as background sound or effects.

The workshop concludes by playing some fun musical singing and listening games to test our new knowledges including an interactive Scratch digital game where children learn to associate each of the birds with the pitches and can sing the name sing these in Indigenous language.

Following the incursion children can be observed by creating our guided Indigenous table ideas for your classroom for children to interact with and make meaning in their own way following the sessions. This could include our interactive Scratch digital game for the children to safely explore digital literacy and further their learning.


Outcomes:

● Include the use the Wurundjeri greeting, Wominjeka as a greeting in everyday interactions or Djembana, the BoonWurrung greeting in everyday interactions
● Explore the book Wilam: A Birrarung Story by Aunty Joy Murphy (Wurundjeri Country)
● Learn which animals and birds make their home (Wilam) on Melbourne’s Yarra River
(Birrarung)
● Make meaning through movement and role-play and foreground Indigenous knowledges around interconnectivity of all life
● Learn to pronounce and express Wurundjeri words for birds and animals by attaching musical pitches and movements to the new Woi-Wurrung words we have learnt
● Actively use, engage with and share enjoyment of language and texts in a range of ways
● Engage in making, presenting and responding through dance, drama or musical modes
● Use ICT and digital technology to enhance understanding and learning to watch videos of animals, research how they move, what they eat, predators (enhance knowledge of interconnections)
○ Play our Scratch online interactive using animals in the book - to complete the learning loop

The concept of "coming alongside" Indigenous knowledges is important to note[/u] as this incursion is run by an Australian white settler ECT and Performing Arts specialist.
Coming alongside is relational. Dr Karen Martin (2020)

BOOKINGS
To make a booking or enquiry, simply press the GREEN Enquiry/Booking Request Button above right to directly contact the booking team. They will answer you promptly to discuss your booking including when payment will be required.

Shows for Schools not only gathers all the great available shows, it also makes booking easier!